When "blogging" first became popular (some time in the past couple of/last few/how many years exactly it's difficult to say), I was vehemently ANTI-blogging. I thought it was decidedly self-absorbed and ridiculous. Why would anyone want or need to read another person's online diary? Didn't we all know enough about each other via social networking sites? How far was this sharing-the-intimate-details-of-one's-life-via-the-internet thing going to go?
But just as my anti-Britney Spears stance slowly dissolved over the years- I mean who can resist at least tapping their toes to some of her dance numbers?- so has my anti-blogging stance. There are a myriad of uses for blogs that don't fall any where near the "creepy online diary" category. For instance, our blog! We use it to share information both about new jewelery developments, and the other aspects of our lives that make us happy. In turn, we hope that sharing our recipes and passions will both help inform you more about the people behind the jewelry and inspire you in ways that jewelry can't.

Along those lines, I wanted to share my favorite blogs with you all, as they have been a great source of enjoyment and inspiration over the past 6 months or so that I have taken to actually following blogs. (I never thought I would hear those words coming out of my mouth).

My absolute favorite is called "Cupcakes and Cashmere." All I know about the author is that her name is Emily, she lives in L.A., and she has amazing taste (in my opinion) when it comes to the aesthetics of life. I always enjoy checking her blog for a little fashion/apartment decorating/cooking inspiration.

"What I Wore"is a fun visual journal of, if you couldn't guess it, what the author is wearing! Her name is Jessica Quirk, I am a little bit jealous of how cool her last name is, and she's got a great way of reminding the reader that fashion basics are always fashionable. Not only does she post pictures of her outfits, but little anecdotes as well about why she's wearing what she's wearing, which are always warm and fun.

"Atlantic-Pacific"is a purely visual journal of outfits that are bold, feminine and flirty. I am always in awe of author Bee's varying style metamorphoses, and am inspired by her sartorial choices to try new things with my own.

"Milk and Mode" is a new find, as in I just discovered it last week, but boy am I glad I did! Author Carol Han is in her own words, a "fashion & food writer, blogger, digital & editorial consultant, and prolific home cook." Naturally, I'm attracted to this blog as fashion and food are at the foundation of what makes me tick. She posts a wealth of easy and yummy recipes, so don't be surprised if I end up sharing some of them with you!

"The Man Repeller" appeals to me because author Leandra Medine is a total nut and hysterical, in the good way. Her blog is devoted to the art of "man repelling," which involves "outfitting oneself in a sartorially offensive way that will result in repelling members of the opposite sex." She loves word play, discussing topics your mom taught you were inappropriate for public conversation in the 1st grade, and arm parties (aka wearing a ton of bracelets). Overall, her blog is always great for a giggle and picking up some tips on new ways to wear/style/layer clothing.

Two other websites, "Who What Wear"and "Refinery 29," are more like blogging power houses. They've got arsenals of staff members that are heavily clued in to what's going on in the fashion/beauty/celebrity arena and are a great resource for learning about new products, various fashion houses, designers, etc...You can subscribe for daily emails, or just peruse the seemingly infinite amount of information they have stored up on their websites.

And that, ladies and gents, concludes my blog post about blogging. (Again, words I never thought I would hear coming out of my mouth).